Brooklyn, NY

March 30, 2022 by janeelizabethmarko 8 Comments

Well, well. It’s been a long while. The last blog was from Kandersteg, Switzerland Oct 19th, 2019. A lot has happened since.

The obvious – A world changing pandemic that keeps us settled in Philadelphia, PA, USA. As I said in my last blog, the plan was to take an apartment in Philly near family and travel six months of the year. 

Well, covid put an abrupt stop to the travel part. Bob and I feel grateful for the timing to have settled near family in a sweet apartment in a tree filled neighborhood just before the pain-in-the-butt covid. 

At the start of the lockdown, I kept saying, I might as well be in Switzerland as I was Zooming with my grandkids less than a miles away. Nothing felt right. Soon, we settled into the life of covid, learned to have meals-on-the-Lawn and took lots of hikes in the Wisahicken woods. 

We got an unexpected added bonus when Sam and Sari moved to Philly shortly after we arrived, so both of Bob’s sons are near. And Jenny and family have visited from up-state New York, so family surrounds us.  It’s been amazing to hang out with family on the spur of a moment or for a planned visit or dinner. Bob and I feel lucky and blessed.

Having our own place allows for a slightly larger wardrobe and my own pots and pans. As it became clear that the pandemic was sticking around, I started acquiring a few house plants. Now I need a plant sitter in order to travel. 

Each morning I write, read, meditate, do some yoga, and then open my day up to whatever’s going to happen. That could be a text from Sari asking if we’re free for dinner, or a grandchild calling.

“Grandma Jane, Can I come over today?” 

That would be a hard, “YES.” 

At one of those dinners with Sam and Sari, Sari asked if we would be interested in housesitting for some friends in Brooklyn, NY with their dog Lucy for the month of March. (Jose Maria, I know you are jealous!)

Another hard yes, and here we are spending March in the DUMBO neighborhood. (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) It’s a trendy neighborhood filled with cafes, shops right on the East River. The views of Manhattan are spectacular. 

Accepting this housesit felt like a safe way to start traveling again, albeit just an hour and a half train ride away. And the best part is, we get to hang out with an amazing pup!

Every few days, we go on an adventure.

“Let’s ride the Staten Island Ferry and take a look at the Statue of Liberty.”

We hopped a ferry across the East River and then took the Staten Island Ferry for a mellow ride watching Manhattan disappear into the distance. I’ve always loved a ferry; the movement, the perspective from the water, the uniqueness of the ride.  My first ferry ride was visiting my dear friend Lynn in Seattle many years back. 

Wanting to call my mom, I thought what better place to chat than on a bench in Central Park. I caught the subway to Manhattan, and, presto, I’m roaming Central Park chatting with my mom, slightly distracted by the world class people watching. 

As we are living minutes from both the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges, we’ve walked across them both a few times.

One day, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and headed to the 911 Memorial in lower Manhattan. The endless dropping fountain, surrounded by all the names of the deceased caused me to reflect on that horrendous day. I was teaching 6th grade at the time, and we had the difficult task of telling the students what had happened. 

That same day, we passed the Fearless Girl Statue, promoting female empowerment, which made me smile with pride, “You go Girl!” It reminded me of all the optimistic possibilities in the world.

A Bob inspired idea had us walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, continue through Manhattan to the Hudson River, and follow the river around to Battery Park, then we jumped a ferry to cross the East River back to Brooklyn. The weather cooperated with a high of 70 and we meandered, enjoying a soft breeze off the Hudson, observing the first signs of spring.  

When we stopped for lunch our bench faced a large plot of tulips about an inch high. I decided that they were going to be red when they bloom. We will leave before they bloom, so in my imagination, they are bright red. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art made the must-see list. We took the NYC Ferry from Dumbo to 90th Street. Again, the weather did us good. We walked up 85th street, crossing all the avenues, ending at 5th avenue next to Central Park in front of the enormous museum. 

Luckily, we had tickets, as the line to buy tickets wound along the side of the building for what seemed to be miles. Not really, but it was long. We headed to the 19th Century section and got our fill of Monet, Seurat, and Matisse just to name a few. It was a bit crowded. Next time, I’ll arrive early, hoping for fewer people. All and all, a great day and this ferry idea as a primary mode of transportation is easy to get used to. 

When I’m not being a tourist, I spend my days roaming thrift shops, finding cafes, and walking the neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Manhattan, loving the beeps, the hustle of the streets, and the general energy of the city. The go-to walk on an average day is Brooklyn Bridge Park on the East River. Originally the land was an industrial area and now it’s a place to soak up nature and admire amazing views of Manhattan. Just one more reason Brooklyn rocks

It’s good to be house-sitting again, albeit an hour and half from home. 

Perhaps this is the beginning of a new chapter.

Until next time.